Ready And Waiting To Fall
by Mac-alicious
Summary: song fic, Derek Venturi was in over his head. He had dug himself in deep this time. He had fallen for his stepsister.


A/N: So this is a new story. It's a LWD (Life with Derek) fic. I haven't really seen many episodes of this show. I think I've seen "Male Code Blue" like a gazillion times though. But last night I got to watch two episodes (the one where everything is chaotic at their house and Casey decides to go with the flow, and the one with Vicky and the wedding). So anyway, this probably isn't that great, but it came to me and I had to write it down. I wanted to submit it before I lose the notebook so here it is…please R&R! Thanks –Mac

Disclaimer: I don't own Life with Derek, and I don't own the song in italics, it's 'Ready and Waiting to Fall' by Mae (off the Everglow album) I love all of Mae's songs…this one especially because it inspired a story! (the lyrics are in paragraph form because they're like that in the CD jacket thing and I copied them right out of that, I didn't feel like changing it).

**Ready And Waiting To Fall**

_Drowning, just as fast as I can. But don't throw me a line, don't reach out your hand. Because I'm on the brink of something beautiful and I want to sing about it. But I don't know where to begin. Write it in a letter but the words don't come out right. Trying to explain how nobody can do me like. You don't understand just how helpless I get since the day that we met. Oh, can you feel it yet?_

Derek Venturi was in over his head. He had dug himself in deep this time. He had fallen for his stepsister. The stepsister who could drive him up the wall. The stepsister who probably hated him more than anything in the world. He had fallen for the one person he couldn't, and would never, have.

He had known from the first day they had met. He had known that this girl would cause him more trouble than she was worth. First of all, she was gorgeous. She was more naturally beautiful than anyone he had ever met. While he didn't usually go for natural beauty, she had caught his eye and he was drooling over her in no time. She was intelligent, witty, clever, and passionate. She kept him on his toes on a daily basis. Casey McDonald was perfect, but she would never see it. She would deny it with a vengeance. He loved her for her modesty. He lover for a lot of things, and he hated that he couldn't tell her.

He had tried to tell her, many times. But every time he opened his mouth to tell her the words just wouldn't come out. They would get caught in his throat and he would end up saying the first thing that came to mind, and it was usually something rude or hurtful. Half of the fights they had lately were caused by him trying to tell her the truth. He tried to write it down. He thought if he could get it down on paper it would be easier to say. He thought wrong. If anything it made it harder. It just came out wrong. The words were jumbled and came out sounding forced and insincere.

It was driving him crazy being around her everyday and not being able to tell her. It was killing him that she didn't know. It was killing him that she thought he hated her. But he had made his bed. He had put himself in this situation. Now he had to deal with it.

The day he decided he would tell her, no matter what it took, he paced across his room fro what seem like days. It had to be that day that she decided to go to the mall with Emily. But that was just a small hitch in his plan. It wasn't going to stop him. It was just a delay. He was still going through with it. Now he was just trying to hype himself up, and trying to gather up all the courage he had so he could get the words out. All he had to do was get those words out, in the right order and in a sincere tone.

Finally, he heard the sound of the front door open and close downstairs. Casey's voice filled his ears as she quickly greeted her mom before heading for the stairs. Timing her footsteps on the stairs perfectly, he opened his door just as she reached her bedroom door.

"Casey." Derek replied, trying to keep his voice sounding normal.

"What do you want, Derek?" Casey snapped, whipping around to look at him. Her hands found her hips out of custom.

"What makes you think I want something?" Derek asked, as he thought 'Just say it, just say it, before you go and say something stupid.'

"You're talking to me." Casey replied, turning around and going into her room.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Derek scowled as he followed her into her room, and closing the door.

"It means, get out of my room!" Casey snapped, rounding him. A bag she had been carrying flew out of her hand and hit Derek in the knee.

"Damn Klutzilla!" Derek swore, rubbing his knee with one hand. "What the hell is that anyway? A brick?"

"It's a CD, you big baby." Casey replied, "It couldn't have hurt that much."

"Well, the grade-grubber would know." Derek sneered, and there he went with the rude and hurtful comments.

"What the hell do you want Derek?" Casey scowled.

"And she swears too." Derek replied.

"You're an ass you know that?" Casey said, bending over to pick up her bag.

"Proud of it." Derek smirked. He was digging in and he knew it. He felt stupid for not being able to just say it.

"Don't you have some other place you could be right now?" Casey questioned, her arms crossed across her chest.

"Definitely, but since you obviously are in for another Friday night alone…" Derek began before Casey cut him off sharply.

"Thought you would rub it in my face first?" Casey sneered, "Why don't you go screw whatever bimbo you have waiting, and leave me the hell alone?"

"Casey." Derek said, his voice hitched and she heard it.

She was looking at him strangely. Maybe not so strange, but different. Definitely different. Now he had to say it. He had to say something. She was expecting him to say something. It couldn't be any of his usual crap either. As he struggled to find the right words, Casey gave up on him.

As she began to turn away from him, he did the only thing he could do. He caught her by the arm and, giving up on forming the words, kissed her. After the initial shock wore off, Casey began to kiss him back.

_It's never been more perfect being alive. I've never been so satisfied. Oh…_

Derek had never felt this way before. He felt more alive than he ever had before. He had never felt this satisfied. He had never felt so complete. God, he was really in over his head.

_I could feel something different for the first time. Heaven made sense and all the words rhymed. No chance of stopping it now. I'm taking it all. And now I'm caught in the air, it's a good glide. Pass it up, wouldn't dare, what a wild ride. I remember being ready and waiting to fall just like I did tonight._

_Spinning around and around until my left was my right and up became down. With just one look you knocked me off my feet. So unable to speak. Oh, how you made me weak. Though it was a while ago, I still can recall. That moment, so ready, and waiting to fall. Can you take me back in time remembering when you captured my heart? Over and over again. _

Derek felt amazing. He was on cloud nine. He knew it sounded so cliché, but, oh, he was in heaven. He felt like he was flying, soaring. When he felt Casey pull him closer, pressing herself closer to him, he nearly lost his balance, his knees almost buckled in weakness. He wasn't letting go. He wasn't stopping. He finally had his chance and he was taking all that he could get.

Everything was a blur. He couldn't concentrate. He couldn't think. All he could focus on was Casey in his arms, her lips on his. The room could have been spinning for all he knew, his mind was. He couldn't tell left from right, or up from down. It was just him and Casey, nothing else mattered.

He was brought back to that first day. She had stolen his heart with one look. Without even knowing it, or the affect she had on him, she had knocked him off his feet. She left him breathless. He hadn't known it but he had been ready, just waiting, to fall for her. Every time he saw her, she reminded him of it. She drove him crazy. She made him weak. She annoyed the hell out of him. She left him speechless. And he lover her.

When they finally broke apart, they were gasping for air. Derek just stared at her. Casey closed her eyes. She didn't understand what had just happened, but boy did she like it. She took deep breaths, trying to calm herself and slow her racing heart. This was Derek. She hated Derek, right? She thought she did. No, she couldn't hate him. He had just proved that.

His arms were still wrapped around her and she could feel his eyes on her. Was he waiting for her to say something? Or was he trying to think of something to say himself? She felt confused. She felt like she was going crazy. She didn't know what she was feeling. She was supposed to hate Derek. She acted like she hated him. She couldn't really be falling for him, could she? And what about him? He was supposed to hate her. He treated her like he hated her. But he had just kissed her. He had _kissed_ her. _He_ kissed her.

"Derek…" Casey began.

"Casey, I love you." Derek blurted out, interrupting her. Now he found his tongue. He was mentally kicking himself, hard and many times.

"You lo…you what?" Casey stuttered.

"I love you." Derek repeated, "I lover you. I really do. This isn't a joke. This isn't some malicious prank. I'm in love with you. I have been for a long time."

"Derek, I don't understand. We…we hate each other. We fight. That's what we do. You don't love me." Casey shook her head.

"I couldn't get the words out. Every time I tried to tell you, something rude and hateful would come out instead. I never meant any of it. And I don't hate you, far from it actually." Derek tried to explain, and when he saw the look on her face added, "I'm an idiot, I know."

After a long pause Casey spoke, "Derek, you're not an idiot. I'm the idiot."

"How do you figure that?' Derek questioned.

"I shouldn't have questioned you. I felt it. When you kissed me I could feel that you felt something. You don't kiss people that way if you don't feel something for them. You don't feel as amazing as I did kissing you if you don't feel something." Casey replied.

"Are you saying you feel something…for me?" Derek asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Casey answered softly, looking toward the ground, trying to avoid making eye contact with him.

"Then why won't you look at me?" Derek said softly and sweetly.

"This is crazy, I can't…I can't love you. I mean…you're Derek. My annoying stepbrother Derek. I can't love you." Casey sighed, "But I do."

"You do?" Derek asked, surprised.

"I do, I love you." Casey replied, "Oh my God, this is crazy!"

"I love you too, Case." Derek murmured and kissed her again. They had bother been ready, just waiting, for the other.

_Ready and waiting to fall…_


End file.
